Skills council launches passport to success

The first UK-wide skills passport to meet the needs of food and drink firms went live this month.

The Green Card, launched by Improve, the food and drink sector skills council, provides a record of skills achieved by every employee in the sector. The data will be accredited and accessible through the internet.

After three months of trials and consultation, the scheme is being presented to employers, colleges, training providers and employment agencies throughout the UK.

"It's important that the colleges are on board as verifiers and we will be spending more time working with them to ensure the scheme fits with their procedures," said Improve's development director, Derek Williams.

"The overall response to the Green Card has been extremely positive. We are in discussions with a number of major employers who want to be among the first to adopt the scheme, as well as many of the leading training providers who are keen to become official verifiers of skills achievements," he said. The first manufacturers to join are expected to be announced soon.

Under the scheme, employees will be issued with a credit card-sized pass, which carries the holder's name, a unique number and a photograph. Holders will be able to use the number to access their record of achievement via the Improve web site.

With the employee's permission, employers or accredited training providers will also be able to access the information to verify the individual's skills.

Accredited training providers will supply updated information to the database as the holder reaches new skills levels or achieves additional qualifications.